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Overview

Design is part of ordinary, everyday life, to be found in every room in every building in the world. While we may tend to think of design in terms of highly desirable objects, this book encourages us to think about design as ubiquitous (from plumbing to television) and as an agent of social change (from telephones to weapon systems).

The Design Culture Reader brings together an international array of writers whose work is of central importance for thinking about design culture in the past, present and future. Essays from philosophers, media and cultural theorists, historians of design, anthropologists, cultural historians, artists and literary critics all demonstrate the enormous potential of design studies for understanding the modern world.

Organised in thematic sections, The Design Culture Reader explores the social role of design by looking at the impact it has in a number of areas – especially globalisation, ecology, and the changing experiences of modern life. Particular essays focus on topics such as design and the senses, design and war and design and technology, while the editor's introduction to the collection provides a compelling argument for situating design studies at the very forefront of contemporary thought.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

'[An] attempt to push the concept of design into new territories... It will certainly challenge its readers to question any assumptions they may have about design culture and to reconstitute their understanding with a broader, richer frame of reference. If that is the purpose of a reader, then Highmore's will certainly be a resounding success.'– Journal of Design History

Related Subjects

Meet the Author

Ben Highmore is Reader in Media and Cultural Studies at the University of Sussex. He is the author of Everyday Life and Cultural Theory, Cityscapes and editor of The Everyday Life Reader and is the reviews editor of New Formations.

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